Bed tray and bed in combination therewith



G. P. BEMENT Oct. 4, 1966 BED TRAY AND BED IN COMBINATION THEREWITH Filed Aug. 21, 1964 Rm 0 E T PM E W B I P E G R 0 E G United States Patent 3,276,045 BED TRAY AND BED IN COMBINATION THEREWITH George P. Bement, RD. 7, Depot Road, Erie, Pa. Filed Aug. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 391,085 1 Claim. (Cl. -332) This invention relates to improvements in hospital bed trays and more particularly to a tray which has side clips by which it fastens securely to bedside guard rails.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a hospital bed tray which may be attached securely to the bedside guard rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bed tray with vertical sides and back to prevent objects from being pushed or accidentally knocked off the tray.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable tray which has supports to hang from the head or foot of the bed when not in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tray which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and eflicient to use, and easily accessible.

Another object is to :bination tray and bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved portable tray which may be molded in one unit from fiberglass or some similar material.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawings and accompanying description.

In the drawings and accompanying description, two embodiments of the present invention are shown and described but it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the invention and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the combination tray, bed, and guard rails;

FIG. 2 is an isometric the invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the tray according to the invention attached to the headboard of the bed.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the reference number generally designates the flat bottom tray according to the present invention. The tray 10 is rectangular in shape and made to conform to the normal hospital bed width. It has a large flat central area with integrally formed upwardly extending flanged vertical sides 11, and flanged back 12. The purpose of the flanged sides 11 and back 12 is to confine objects from falling ofi during its use.

The tray 10 is also designed so that it will be a normal height when placed on the guard rails and when the patient is rolled up in bed it will be in a natural position for nurses to place wash basins, food, trays, etc.

provide an improved new comview of the tray according to thereon. It will also be in a natural position for letter writing, sewing, knitting, or for use in a rehabilitation program.

The front lip 15 is turned downwardly and may be covered with a plastic edge 16 to provide an attractive appearance and also help to stiffen the tray.

The tray 10 may be constructed from a flat piece of sheet metal and the vertical sides and back turned upwardly and welded at the folded corners 17, as shown in FIG. 2. The inverted U shaped side hooks 13 are attached by welding to the vertical sides 11. The metal Patented Oct. 4, 1966 used for the side hooks 13 should be of a material which can be pressed by hand to conform to the guard rails 19 of the bed 20, so that the hooks pass over and actually grip and frictionally engage the side rails. The bed will normally have a mattress with a top surface generally parallel to the top bar of guard rails 19. The back hooks 14 are L shaped and are welded at 22 to the back 12. These hook over the head board 23 for storage when not in use.

The side hooks 13 and back hooks 14 may have plastic sleeves 18 attached thereto to protect the guard rails and head board from being scratched. These side hooks and back hooks may also be covered with a rubber coating to keep the tray from sliding when fastened to the guard rails. The tray when in position becomes a rigid part of the bed and keeps the guard rails from moving laterally.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the tray is molded from a fiberglass or similar material with a suitable strength. The upwardly flanged sides 111 and back 112 are provided with a lip for appearance and to act as a stiffener. The front edge is turned upwardly thereby forming a flange, and then turned downwardly for the purpose of giving added strength and, at the same time, to prevent objects from falling or spilling therefrom. The side hooks 113 and back hooks 114 may be molded as a unit with the tray itself.

Whereas the drawings and accompanying description have shown and described two preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form, size, material, and minor details of the invention without aifecting the scope thereof.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

In combination, a hospital bed and a tray,

said bed having a headboard, side rails, and a mattress,

said side rails having bars adapted to be supported in spaced relation above said mattress and generally parallel to the top thereof,

said rails being generally round in cross section,

said tray having a flat unobstructed bottom and two relatively narrow sides and a back integrally attached to each other and extending upwardly generally perpendicular to each other and to said bottom, said tray being of such a length that it extends substantially from one said side rail to the other, two spaced, resilient, downwardly opening U-shaped hooks fixed to each of said sides of said tray, said hooks receiving said side rails and being frictionally secured thereto whereby said tray resists sliding and removal from said rails,

said hooks having inside surfaces which are slightly smaller in undefiected position than the outside surfaces of said rails,

said hooks being deflected outwardly by said rails and holding said tray firmly in position thereon,

and clips rigidly fixed to said back,

said clips being generally L-shaped and extending downwardly from said back, the legs of said L-shaped clips underlying said bottom generally parallel thereto and spaced therefrom,

said clips being adapted to receive the upper edge of said bed headboard when said bottom is disposed generally parallel thereto whereby said tray may be supported on said headboard.

(References on following page) 3 4 References Cited by the Examiner 3,037,214 6/ 1962 Staiger 592 O Bnen et a1. 34 32? g j FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. ummery Marcus 5 A. Exammer. 8/ 1959 Anderson 108-44 R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. 

